Christmas trees have arrived in town for the 2o2o annual Rotary Club of Prince Rupert sale. Trees can be found ready to be dressed and decorated at the tennis court on Seventh Ave. and Mc Bride until Dec. 20.
More than 35 volunteers from the Rotary Club and Prince Rupert Minor Hockey association unloaded 300 trees which are a hot commodity this year due to a Christmas tree shortage and homebound people wanting to spruce up their interiors for the holiday season.
Chris Bromley Rotary member and this year’s chairman of the Christmas tree committee said hundreds of trees arrived on Dec. 4 and even though Christmas trees are in demand this year, if they sell out before Dec. 20, he “can get more quickly” if needed.
With the recent cancellation of the Rotary Auction due to COVID-19, which is the club’s major fundraising event for their yearly means, Bromley said times are tight this year and the club is relying on tree sales.
Prince Rupert Rotary has been selling Christmas trees to city residents for more than 30 years and years ago used to harvest their own from Ridley Island through a silver culture program.
“Selling the trees is the only fundraising event this year. If we are lucky we may get $5,000 out of it and that’s only because Bandstra does the transport for free,” he said. “And Harbour Machine lift the cube container over the tennis court fence for free.”
Bromley said if the club had to pay for the tree transportation from the Terrace wholesaler then any profits raised for the club would be very low at around $2,500.
This year trees range in price from $30 to $100 and are already bound waiting at the lot to find their fir-ever home.
“People love the surprise of cutting it open to see what it looks like, plus it’s easier to get it home if it’s bound,” he said.
Trees can be purchased on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and weekdays from 4:30 to 6:30.
K-J Millar | Journalist
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